Russia, Ukraine - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
Russia has agreed to assist India to set up National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in the country to handle disaster and other emergency situations.

This was agreed during a meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov in Moscow.

Both sides agreed that EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in the establishment of the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in India.

India also reviewed the progress made on the agreement on disaster management signed in 2010.

The countries also agreed on a programme of training of specialists and sharing of each other's experiences as well as best practices in the field of Disaster Management.

The two leaders later signed a joint implementation plan for 2018-19 for cooperation in disaster management.

They also reviewed the implementation of the agreement on information security signed in October 2016.

Both sides also welcomed the ongoing cooperation and the regular exchange of visits between the two National Security Councils.

ANSWER: Ukraine

Explanation:
Ukraine's biggest commercial bank, PrivatBank, has been nationalised in a move aimed at protecting 20 million customers and preserving financial stability in the country.

The nation's central bank said the problems faced by PrivatBank were mainly caused by its "imprudent lending policy" which led to capital losses.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has reassured PrivatBank depositors that their money is safe.

The bank is operating normally.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) declared PrivatBank insolvent on 18th Dec. The government subsequently backed the nationalisation.

About PrivatBank

• Part-owned by the powerful billionaire oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. He has big stakes in the media and energy industries & has frequently come into conflict with President Poroshenko.
• 20 million Ukrainians who use the bank include 3.2 million pensioners, more than 500,000 students and 1.6 million socially vulnerable households.
• Nationalisation also enables small businesses to continue trading and means 3.2 million public and private sector employees will continue to be paid.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
A page from Gandhiji’s diary containing his handwritten notes and an 18th century Bengali sword have been presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin to PM Narendra Modi. The items were presented during a meeting between the two leaders in the Kremlin.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
The International Army Games 2015 were held August 1st to 15th on 11 training ranges across three Russia’s military commands, the Western, the Southern and the Central. Fifty seven teams from 17 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, which competed at the Games.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
Russians, who fear that their family members could be under the threat of being recruited by the IS, can address their concerns to the State Civic Chamber by phone or in writing.

ANSWER: Namaste India

Explanation:
The President said Indian culture and its heritage of art, music and cinema have enjoyed love and appreciation across Russia over centuries.

ANSWER: Progress 59

Explanation:
Russia's unmanned Progress 59 spacecraft blasted off atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
The Armata tank has an unmanned turret and a 125mm smooth-bore cannon that can fire guided missiles as well as shells. Its computer technology, speed and maneuverability are said to be far superior to those of the T-90, the current mainstay of the Russian army. Russia plans to bring in about 2,300 Armatas, starting in 2020, to replace Soviet-era tanks.